Linkedin

This is for those of you who are not actively using LinkedIn for career development. Learn how being active in a few simple ways can benefit your career.

Many people with a corporate career forget to update their profile or do not actively use LinkedIn. As of June 2018, LinkedIn had over 500 million users. 61 million of these users were considered senior level influencers and 40 million were in decision-making positions. In other words, LinkedIn might be the most valuable tool for your career development today. As executive coaches working with career development, Lena Beck Rørvig and I have met many successful people who have ignored LinkedIn as a channel for career development. External recruiters are not the only ones using LinkedIn, your company might also have an account. LinkedIn is becoming a useful way to discover career opportunities within your existing organisation.

Think you don’t have the time? Engaging in a professional network doesn’t need to take a lot of your time. If you are not already a member or posting regularly, I have three simple ways of using LinkedIn for career development.

Three simple ways to use LinkedIn for career development

In the video below, Lena and I discuss how to maintain or improve your market value by using LinkedIn for career development in three easy ways:

Update regularly

Show your worth

Be digitally conscious

In the clip above, Lena Beck Rørvig and I give advice on how to use Linkedin for career development emphasising its importance for people with a corporate career.

Update Regularly

Allocate a little time to follow posts on LinkedIn daily or weekly. In addition, post something meaningful on an ongoing basis. I recommend taking a moment to show an interest in your network by liking the posts of others you appreciate. Your company might also value if you share new job postings or news about your company’s success. It is essential to maintain your professional presence by updating regularly.

Show your worth

It is natural to worry about what others will think of your social media activity. However, you do not have to be too concerned about it as long as you maintain a professional online appearance. We tend to think far more about ourselves than others do, and it is rare that a post or comment will define you! Focus on posting what is relevant to your professional interests. This could mean something related to your job or a company you are following. For example, if you are into finance, you could share an article you value on investments. Ultimately, a personal post is much more engaging than a non-personal post. If you want people to comment and feel a connection to you through your posts, don’t be afraid to share a bit of yourself and your point of view.

Be digitally conscious

Being digitally conscious means several things. One is being mindful of what you post, especially on topics like politics and religion. Depending on the nature, politics and religion can often be offensive and divisive. The goal for using LinkedIn for career development is as a means for opening doors and connecting within your professional network. While you can only decide if a post will be this, it never hurts to be digitally conscious of the intentions behind a post.

Another aspect of being digitally conscious is not getting hooked on social media. A lot of people are addicted to the happiness hormone, serotonin. You might experience a release of serotonin in your brain when you get “likes” or receive approval. Having a healthy offline-online balance is essential for being productive, focused and happy. This balance is not always easy in company culture which lacks the environment for discussing this topic. You, therefore, have to be responsible for keeping yourself in balance. Everyone has different preferences. Some people may enjoy checking-in every day while others may need more digital breaks. You can read more about this in my new book, En dag med 12 godemobilvaner (will be available in Danish i 2019 – sign up for my newsletter to get the news when it is out).

Quickly boost your professional presence through those three simple ways for using LinkedIn for career development. Remember: update regularly, show your worth and be digitally conscious. I hope you are able to make some time to be active on LinkedIn today!

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Josefine Campbell

I am a Executive Coach and Author, who unleashes the potential of people and companies. My vision is that organisation create long term value, leaders have clarity and you wake up every morning energized.